Monday Headlines

Registration for Global Food Alaska - 2007
This chance to meet buyers, sellers and other food chain participants in Alaska seafood, agriculture and bio-products won't happen again for two years. The June 13 and 14 event in Soldotna, Alaska is a first, and right around the corner. Governor Palin is coming now too. Movers and shakers, big and small, with sea legs and without, will be there in force it looks like from their list of registrants.

The wild side of Alaska is often just down the street.

Ecocide in the oceans
"EU fishermen only managed to catch two-thirds of the 2005 cod quota. Nevertheless, they will probably keep on fishing, with gradually reducing quotas, until the stock is completely eliminated."

Codfish Nursery Plan Promoted
"We have waited 17 years for the government to bring back the cod and it hasn't happened. We can't wait." "If we wait for the government, it won't happen. This has got to happen from the inside out, it is not going to happen by the outside working in."

New Report Shows Maine's Working Waterfront Dwindling, Vulnerable
Mapping Maine's Working Waterfront, is the culmination of two year's of community-based research in 142 coastal towns along Maine's coast. A copy of the complete report is available on the Island Institute's Web site. http://www.IslandInstitute.org.

"Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services" 
"The ongoing erosion of marine biodiversity is exceedingly well  documented,
as are some of the functional and societal consequences."

Sanctuary in name only
SLAPPING THE title of "national marine sanctuary" on the 842-square-mile stretch of ocean known as Stellwagen Bank back in 1992 did little to protect whales from being hit by ships, or to prevent trawlers from degrading seafloor habitats that sustain dozens of species of fish.

PSPA hires Alaska lobbyist

"Get it straight - PSPA does not have a 'Vice President' - it has lobbyists who want the foreign-owned corporations dominating its membership to take more dollars out of the US economy through their hollow corporate subsidiaries in Alaska, where they intend to leave no profits." I don't think the Seattle processors intend to leave any profits if they can help it either, and that's the bulk of the "pack."

"Food Miles"
Here's an article about the growing consciousness of how far food travels to market. Of course it takes fuel to transport it, and some of it loses nutritional value in the process. We wonder if anyone computes the carbon cost of shipping Alaska seafood to China for processing, which seems to be all the rage with the processors, then ship it back to the U.S.